9:11:12
by Tom Phan
Summary: My musings, and the musings of my chosen characters made on this day. It's short, I just ask that you all read it and think about it. Reviews are welcome.


**Hey Guys, this is just a one-shot. As you may notice this was posted on 9/11/12. I know this may seem late in many ways, but this is my freshman year of college, and I joined the ROTC battalion posted there. Do to my unissued dress uniform, I along with the other MS1's were unable to participate in the vigil. This is my way of joining them, and bringing along some of the veterans from Blood Gulch.**

**In case it isn't clear, this takes place well before the current season.**

Sarge stood at attention, his body rigid and hands positioned perfectly on the purposefully placed lines. He did not move, only stood and looked out toward the rising sun. His lips not moving, nor his brain even trying to avoid the subject of why he stood. He had come to his station at exactly 0534, 100 before the sun's rising. And since then he had not let anything occupy his mind except for the reason that he, along with numerous soldiers and family across this world and the next, did. Today was a day of tragedy, hope, future, past. Today was a day of silence, and his shotgun would stay silent as well. Mentally, he thought of his final jump, the pain of the crash, the sorrow of his dead platoon scattered about him; but in body all he could do was stand there. Nothing he ever did would ever let him be strong enough to save the men from that past massacre. The silent deaths of thirty men being shot up in the void of space as their pods tried to reach the surface. Silence was best.

Tex did not let her body tense. She only stood at attention, her head cocked up to stare straight in front of her. Underneath her helmet she was perfectly groomed, so that even if she was to change into dress uniform rather than combat armor she would still be the picture of a formal soldier. Her armor itself was cleaned better than it had in year, and allowed her the comfort of knowing that at least she wasn't disrespecting the soldiers who ran before her. And that's what her mind thought of. Not the crisp salutes of a hundred soldiers, but a hundred soldiers running. Running forward together as a team, picking up their squad mates when they fell, carrying the weak, and bolstering the minds of the ones who could not carry on in mind if in body. She missed the camaraderie of running with a team, rather than as a lone wolf. That had been what had first drew her into the military, the team cohesion. She missed her teammates.

Church did not move. He had woken up late to miss the vigil, and had ran as fast as he could to take up watch behind Tex's shoulder. She did not take notice of his arrival, and he did not even attempt to speak. Instead he arrived at his post and stood as still as he could manage. His own thoughts were not as miserable as hers were, he knew they never did. So instead he thought of Atlas. The god he carried the world. He could relate, but not the world. All he wanted to do was carry Tex's burdens for her. He wished he could be her teammate as well as her boyfriend, to pick her up every time she failed. But he wasn't that strong. No one was. So instead all he could do was constantly go to her and do what he could do. Even if they both knew that it wasn't enough.

Wash drove, his hands tight to the steering wheels of his warthog. He was beyond the pain of loss. His mental control peaked to a level that made him not understand what made this day, of all days, so special. So instead he did his job, he recovered what little he could of the past, he did his job. And all he knew was that it would be enough. It would have to be. No, he didn't understand this day. What more, he did not understand why his eyes couldn't see clearly. Every year, on this day.

York sat. His body hunched over the counter with all the conformity of a thousand lies. A thousand lies. He laughed at that thought. He was an infiltration expert, lies and locks were his forte. Pulling out a cigarette, he flicked open a lighter and began to smoke. His other hand clutching a beer bottle. Delta tried to speak into his ear, but York could not listen. Not today. He respected D, but today was about a different type of person. Taking another sip of his beer, he looked straight ahead at the bare wall with his one good eye. Every year, all he could think about was whether or not Carolina was one of the many he should be thinking about. To do so, on this day of all days, he didn't know if it was an insult or not. But he prayed all the same, prayed that this day was not supposed to be a day for her. Finishing his beer, he instinctively reached for another from the mini-fridge. He wasn't a heavy drinker, but this day. This day was special.

Carolina looked at the blank wall, the place she was in kept pitch black to avoid detection. Her own mind knew what day it was. She thought about her old team, and thought of how they would all hold their own vigils. She wished she could be with them, to trust them again. But that wasn't going to happen not this year. So instead she kept looking at the wall, and mentally toasted the best team in the universe. God she could use one York's mixed drinks right now, a drink and a joke. She could use something positive to think about, these day there was little of it.

"Hey Church, Caboose wants to make eggs..." Tucker ran up the ramp onto the top floor of the base, but Church wasn't there. Tex wasn't in the base either. Looking about with his eyes trained from his lack of scoped rifle, he finally spotted the two of them. Just standing there, both at attention while the sun came over the edge. Looking across the Gulch, he saw Sarge standing like a statue as well. Simmons, Donut, even Griff; all behind just standing at attention. Looking behind him, he found Doc sitting on wall's edge. "Hey Doc."

"Hey."

"It's today isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to tell Caboose to get up here. He and Sis should be here with us."

Doc stood up, helped by Tucker's strong grip. "Yeah they should be." He walked over to the edge, and stood at attention like the others in the canyon. Minutes later, the three blues joined him. And silence inhabited the canyon for the first time in a year.

**This is partly serving as a intro to a old story I wrote, so if you happen to find something by me coming out soon, give it a look. But otherwise, remember the silence that should come with this day. **

**I do not hold any rights over Rooster Teeth or their creations, and this work is purely the result of my own without the opinions of their owners. Here's hoping I did them proud.**


End file.
